Universal high speed ratchet adapter



Sept. 10, 1968 s. SCARDACI 3,400,602

UNIVERSAL HIGH SPEED RATCHET ADAPTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1965INVENTOR. r096 804 mm Armada? I Sept. 10, 1968 s. SCARDACI 3,400,602

UNIVERSAL HIGH SPEED RATCHET ADAPTER Filed Nov. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 230 62 I 56 o 64 64 O o 6?. b2 0 6 I I o O INVENTOR. -66 'ZZ BY 544mm:Scqgmgo A my/v5 United States Patent 3,400,602 UNIVERSAL HIGH SPEEDRATCHET ADAPTER Salvatore Scardaci, 2 Mehan Lane, Commack, Huntington,Deer Park, N.Y. 11729 Filed Nov. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 506,554 Claims. (Cl.74410) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ratchet adapter comprising a casing,a plurality of rotatable shafts mounted in the casing and angularlydisposed with respect to one another on the same plane, extending fromthe casing, a beveled gear mounted on the inner end of each shaft, withthe gears in continuous engagement with one another, disposed so thateach gear is in angular engagement with the gear on each side thereof.

The subject matter of this invention relates to tools, and has for itsobjective the creation of a ratchet adapter adapted to crack, loosen andremove from, as well as tighten nuts and bolts on, machines, motors,machinery and other forms of structures, casings and the like employingnuts and bolts for any purpose, where the nuts and bolts are located inareas that are otherwise inaccessible to, or difficult to reach with,straight-line ratchets or wrenches. It is also capable of loosening ortightening such nuts and bolts with greater speed and efiiciency thanpresent forms of ratchets and wrenches.

In the present state of the art mechanics are frequently confronted,both in the construction and in the repair of motors and othermachinery, with the necessity of reaching nuts and bolts which areinaccessible to a straightthrough ratchet or wrench tool, either becauseof the angle at which the nuts and bolts are secured, the narrow workingarea available, the manner in which they are recessed, or because ofwiring or other parts located in the area between the nut or bolt andthe point from which they can be reached. This is particularly so inrepair work where the nuts and bolts have become rusted or frozen, andconsiderable force is required to loosen or break the nut or bolt free.

It is therefore the principal object of my invention to create auniversal high speed ratchet adapter which is capable of reaching andremoving a nut or bolt that is angularly located and generallyinaccessible to a straightthrough tool.

A second important object of my invention lies in the provision of aratchet adapter capable of reaching nuts and bolts which are so locatedthat access thereto may be had only through -a narrow aperture.

A third important object of my invention lies in the provision of aratchet adapter which can tighten or loosen nuts and bolts at highspeed.

A fourth important object of my invention lies in the creation of aratchet adapter by means of which, because of its novel construction andarrangement, maximum force can be applied, in a combination of forms, toloosen a frozen or rusted nut or bolt.

A fifth important object of my invention lies in the provision of aratchet adapter provided with interchangeable parts for differentapplications.

Still another important object of my invention lies in the provision ofa ratchet adapter which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use.

Other salient objects, advantages and functional features will becomemore readily apparent from an examination of the followingspecification, taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of myinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view, taken on lines 2-2 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a top reduced view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, showing afemale adapter and ratchet in engagement with one drive shaft and asocket adapter in engagement with a shaft at right angles to the driveshaft;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing an extension shaft andfemale socket adapter secured thereon in position to engage a nut orbolt located at the end of a narrow aperture;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, exploded, fragmentary section of one corner ofthe embodiment of FIG. 1, showing a preferred means for interlocking thecasing;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 2, of amodified embodiment of my invention; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged, cross-sectional views, similar to FIG. 6, offurther modifications of my invention.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout thedifferent views.

Illustrative of the embodiment shown by FIGS. 1-5, my ratchet adapter 10comprises a casing 12 having four side walls 14 which are interlocked atright angles to each other by means of a tongue and slot engagement, thetongue 16 provided with pins 20 fitting into bores 22 in the slot 18, asshown by FIG. 5. The top and bottom openings of the casing 12 are closedby covers 24 which are removably secured to the walls 14 by screws 26.Each of the walls 14 is provided centrally with a bushing 28 throughwhich there is disposed a drive shaft 30, mounted for rotation thereinin bearings 32, the outer terminal of each shaft 30 having a square cut34 in which a ball clip 36 is disposed. The shafts 30 shown are A"shafts, but may be made in any standard size, such as A", /2" or Thesize of the shafts 30, however, are of minor importance since adapters,as will hereinafter be described, can adapt any size of shaft to anysize of socket adapter, as required. At its other end, disposed withinthe casing 12, each shaft 30 is provided with a spiral cut beveled gear38, rigidly attached thereto by its hub 40, each of the gears 38 beingin angular engagement, or mesh, with the gears 38 of shafts 30 locatedat right angles to its supporting shaft 30, and retained in suchposition at all times, as shown in FIG. 2, so that rotation of any oneof the shafts 30 causes rotation of all of the other shafts 30, the onesat right angles thereto as well as the shaft 30 directly opposite, bythe engaged rotation of their respective gears 38.

In FIG. 3 there is shown a ratchet adapter 10 to which there is attacheda standard ratchet 42, the ratchet 42 being secured to a shaft 30 byinterconnection of a female adapter 44. To the shaft 30 at right anglesthereto there is attached a female socket adapter 46, which is adaptedto engage a bolt head (not shown). As the ratchet 42 rotates its driveshaft 30 clock-wise, the socket shaft 30 at right angles thereto islikewise caused to rotate clock-wise to tighten the bolt, one completeturn of the ratchet 42 causing one complete turn of the socket 46.Reversal of rotation is employed to loosen the bolt, in the same manner.It is to be noted that rotation of the ratchet 42 causes all of thegears 38 to rotate, the socket shaft 30 thereby receiving power, throughits gear 38, from the gears 38 which are in engagement therewith on eachside thereof, all activated by the ratchet shaft 30.

In FIG. 4 there is shown a straight-through operation of my adapter 10,the ratchet 42, by rotation of the shaft 30 to which it is engaged byfemale adapter 44, causing rotation, in the opposite direction, of theopposing socket shaft 30. The opposing socket shaft 30, in the view, isprovided with an extension shaft 48, to the end of which a female socketadapter 46 is connected, to reach a bolt (not shown) which is located atthe end of a narrow aperture.

' In connection with the operation of my ratchet adapter there areemployed a series of standard male and female adapters 44 in graduatedsizes, that is to say, each adapter having one opening 4 in size, andthe opposing opening 4, /z" or in size to receive extension shafts 48 orratchets 42 of appropriate size. Also, a set of female socket adapters46 is provided, each adapter 46 having one opening of A" in size, andits opposing opening (hexagonal to receive the bolt head or nut) A, /2"and A". Additionally, a series of extension shafts 48 in graduated sizesis provided, likewise standard and well known in the art, ranging inlength from 3" to 12", respective use depending upon the distance whichthe bolt to be reached extends from the point at which the ratchetadapter 10 may be employed.

FIG. 6 shows a modified embodiment 10A of my ratchet adapter 10. In thisembodiment the side walls 14 are provided with shafts and beveled gears38, while the opposing walls 14' are substantially wider, and areprovided with shafts having beveled gears 52 which are larger than thegears 38 and in engagement with the latter, as shown, whereby onerotation of shaft 50 causes two or more rotations of shafts 30,dependent upon the size and tooth ratio between gears 52 and gears 38.With this embodiment an engagement of a ratchet 42 to a shaft 50 and theengagement of a shaft 30, by means of a female socket adapter 46, to abolt head, will cause a high speed rotation of the shaft 30 with eachrotation of the shaft 50, and a high speed loosening or tightening ofthe bolt, dependent on the size ratio between the gear 52 and the gear38.

FIG. 7 shows another form 10B of my ratchet adapter 10. In thisembodiment there is provided a hexagonal casing 54 consisting of threenarrow walls 56 alternating with three wider walls 58, the shafts 60provided alternately with large beveled gears 62 and small beveled gears64, the gears 62 being of equal size and the gears 64 of equal size, allof the gears 62 and 64 engaged as shown. With this embodiment astraight-through rotation at high speed of the socket shaft is obtainedWhen a ratchet 42 is in engagement with the drive shaft 60 of one of thelarge gears 62 and the socket adapter 46 is engaged to a shaft 60 of theopposing small gear 38. In this embodiment it is to be noted that bothopposing shafts 60 rotate in the same direction, while with theembodiments of FIGS. 2 and 6 the rotation is in opposite directions.

FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment. The ratchet adapter 10C is likewisehexagonal in cross-section, with wide walls 66 and narrow walls 68, butis provided with a pair of large gears 70 parallel to and opposing eachother, secured to respective shafts 72, with a pair of smaller gears 74on each side, secured to shafts 76, in permanent engagement, as shown.It is to be noted that in this embodiment the gears 70 are adapted torotate the shafts 72 in the same direction, but at equal speed. Toprovide greater power, in this embodiment, in addition to the gearengagements provided a sectional shaft 78 is disposed and fitted intothe central openings of the gears 70, thereby connecting the shafts 72,so that power applied to one of the shafts 72 is transferred to theother shaft 72 by direct engagement of the shafts 72 as well as by theengagement of the cooperating gears 70 and 74.

In the operation of my ratchet adapter 10 where, let us say, the bolt tobe reached and removed is located at right angles to the point ofaccess, at the end of a narrow aperture 12" in depth, and extensionshaft 48 that is 12" long, with a female socket adapter 46' secured tothe end thereof, is fitted to the socket shaft 30. With the casing 12held in the hand of the operator the extension shaft 48 is insertedthrough the aperture until the hexagonal opening of the socket adapter46 engages the bolt head. A ratchet 42 is then applied to the shaft 30which is at right angles to the socket shaft 30 and facing the operator,and this shaft 30 is rotated, thereby rotating the socket saft 30 andthus loosening and removing the bolt. Where thebolt to be removed isaccessible at an angle greater or smaller than from the point ofaccessibility a turning, in the hand of the operator, of the casing 12will provide the proper angle of access. Thus, my ratchet adapter 10 canreach any bolt or nut, disposed at any angle from the point or plane ofaccessibility. Other adaptations will become readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

It is to be further noted that all parts of my ratchet adapter 10, aswell as the other embodiments, are removable and replaceable, so thatdamaged or worn partscan be removed and replaced by standardreplacements. A combination tool providing for both the embodiments ofFIG. 2 and FIG. 6 can be provided, with the addition to the embodimentof FIG. 2 of two enlarged covers and two sections 14, since the sidewalls 14 of FIG. 6, with the shafts 30 and gears 38, are the same asthose of FIG. 2.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A universal high speed ratchet adapter comprising four side walls anda pair of end walls secured together to form a hollow casing, a centralopening in each side wall, a bushing disposed through each opening, ashaft rotatably mounted in each bushing and extending therefrom at rightangles to the wall, with the shafts angularly disposed with respect toone another on the same plane, a shank on each shaft terminal extendingfrom the casing, a beveled gear rigidly secured to the inner terminal ofeach shaft within the casing, one pair of said gears being of largerdiameter than the other pair, with beveled gears of equal diametersopposing each other and each of the larger gears in engagement with agear of smaller diameter on each side thereof, whereby rotation of oneshaft causes rotation of all of the remaining shafts.

2. A universal high speed ratchet adapter as described in claim 1, aball clip provided on the shank of each shaft and adapted to engage aconnection member secured thereto.

3. A universal high speed ratchet adapter comprising six side walls anda pair of end walls secured together to form a hollow casing, a centralopening in each side wall, a bushing disposed through each opening, ashaft rotatably mounted in each bushing and extending therefrom at rightangles to the wall, with the shafts angularly disposed with respect toone another on the same plane, a shank on each shaft terminal extendingfrom the casing, a beveled gear rigidly secured to the inner terminal ofeach shaft within the casing, the beveled gears comprising two sets ofthree gears, the first set being each of larger diameter than those ofthe second set, with the gears arranged whereby each gear of largerdiameter is engaged by a gear of smaller diameter on each side thereof,and whereby rotation of one shaft causes rotation of all of theremaining shafts.

4. A universal high speed ratchet adapter comprising six side walls anda pair of end walls secured together to form a hollow casing, a centralopening in each side wall, a bushing disposed through each opening, ashaft rotatably mounted in each bushing and extending therefrom at rightangles to the wall, with the shafts angularly disposed with respect toone another on the same plane, a shank on each shaft terminal extendingfrom the casing, a beveled gear rigidly secured to the inner terminal ofeach shaft within the casing, the beveled gears comprising two gears oflarger diameter and four gears of smaller diameter, with each gear oflarger diameter in engagement with a gear of smaller diameter on eachside thereof, and each gear of smaller diameter in engagement with agear of equal diameter on one side thereof and a gear of larger diameteron its other side, whereby rotation of one shaft causes rotation of allof the remaining shafts.

5. A universal high speed ratchet adapter as described in claim 4, acentral opening in each of the beveled gears of larger diameter, and anextension shaft disposed between and in engagement with said openings,whereby a continuous shaft is created of the shafts carrying the gearsof larger diameter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Moore 74423 X Kostka 74-423 XMclnish 74--410 X Davis 74-410 X Smits 746'65 MILTON KAUFMAN, PrimaryExaminer.

